


Temptation of the Cannibal

by pressedpill



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26576479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressedpill/pseuds/pressedpill
Summary: AN: First meetings, first kisses, and all that fluff.Also a fair bit of fighting, murdering, fucking, and general ridiculous pasta.(Character building on EJ, since he's... light on cannon.And character taming on Jeff, since he's... cringey on cannon.)⦻
Relationships: Eyeless Jack/Jeffrey Woods | Jeff the Killer, Jeffrey Woods | Jeff the Killer & Eyeless Jack
Comments: 1
Kudos: 73





	1. That One Human

EJ had expected a house full of monsters; revenants, demons, ghosts, even the proxies weren't a problem. The Sickness removed all temptation.

But there, draped over a chair as if he were no different than the ghouls surrounding him, was a human. The boy's blue eyes briefly flicked over EJ's face before returning with little interest to the TV.

Turning on his heel, EJ strode down the nearest hall.

“Where you going?” The masked guy who'd been introducing him to the assortment of housemates called out. He made to follow, but rethinking it, shrugged and joined his teammates instead.

EJ took a beeline to the brightest room, book-ending the house with an altogether out of place modernity: the kitchen.

Throwing himself down in the nearest chair, he tried to re-harness control over the hunger that overwhelmed him.

The fluorescent lights helped, but not entirely.

His stomach growled loudly.

Agitated, he rose and stalked to the fridge, poking disinterestedly at the items within.

“Hey.”

EJ looked over his shoulder, then back at the appliance. The voice seemed to come from the fridge itself- and he was right.

An impish face grinned at him from the small LED display on the door.

“Don't steal anybody's food on your first day, now. They won't thank you for that.”

EJ grunted, pushing the door closed and returning to his seat at the table.

The face followed him, now appearing in a gradient of pixels on the TV mounted on the opposite wall.

“So what's your deal, other than being a sparkling conversationalist?”

He remained silent, unsure what to make of this odd digital phenomenon.

“I'm Ben.” The elfin face was joined by a hand, which made the 'and so' motion at him.

Still, he didn't reply.

Ben seemed annoyed by his lack of interaction, frowning for a moment before glitching into a truly devious expression. “I was being polite, by the way. I know you're Eyeless Jack, the cannibal-sometimes-killer, you like kidneys and...”

The screen flickered and Ben was overlayed with what EJ realized, with a sudden drop of his heart, was his phone screen and personal files.

“... well, I've seen pervier stuff from the other members- hey! Come back!”

EJ stood up, pulled his phone from his pocket, slammed it on the table, and marched out of the side door.

The feeling of shame had become unfamiliar, but he didn't welcome its return.

He continued his trajectory into the woods, focusing on finding a victim, feeding, reclaiming the otherworldly disconnect he'd come to depend on to separate his current deeds from his previous life.

As he slipped deeper into the trees, their skeletal frames long stripped of leaves, did little to disguise the sound of somebody following him.

The footsteps were careless, unconcerned with being noticed.

Ire boiled up at the thought: two interactions and he'd landed himself a babysitter.

They couldn't stop him, though. Not now.

The hunger had taken on a power its own, driving him, finding his feet the perfect path to intercept with prey.

A car: broken down.

Two humans: a man and a woman, arguing.

EJ slowed, putting more care in moving silently now, drawing close enough to hear the dispute.

It wasn't ideal.

He preferred to work while his victims slept, alone.

But his hopes rose when the woman drew back her hand, slapped the man with a resounding _crack_ , and began striding down the street toward him.

The man had also turned to leave in the opposite direction.

Seizing his chance, EJ skirted onto the road, just behind the woman, clapping a hand solidly over her mouth as he wrapped his other arm around her neck.

She struggled, but the choke-hold worked fast, and soon the body in his arms went limp.

All at once, two things happened simultaneously.

The man, having thought better of leaving his wife alone on a backwoods trail at night, had returned, and uttered a single shocked curse.

But he had little time to do more, as a form sprung from the treeline, colliding with him so forcefully that he stumbled. The figure swayed with the man, locked on to him, as if in a full-body hug: arms around his shoulders, knees tucked around his midsection.

Then, in an arc of crimson, it leaped off.

💀💀💀

Jeff landed on the pavement, blood spattering down around him as his first victim fell lifeless to the ground. He was about to advance on the second person, but found that the compulsion fell away quite abruptly when he caught sight of what the demon was doing.

Apparently unphased by Jeff's bombastic entrance, EJ had lined out several medical instruments and supplies, and was now creating a careful incision at the woman's back.

His hands, though claw-like, were deft and quick, their unnatural hue standing out starkly against the grove of bone-white trunks.

Within minutes, a fleshy organ was clutched in his fingers, glistening in the moonlight.

Jeff's heart turned over as his teammate lifted his mask, revealing a maw of jagged teeth, partially obscured by an overlong tongue. The mouth opened, wider than should have been able, allowing the creature to consume his prize whole.

It was rare for Jeff to be interested, let alone excited, by anything but bloodshed. Rarer still for the spice of fear to flavor it. But his pulse had yet to slow down since the moment he'd seen what lay behind the mask.

EJ was now in the process of delicately stitching the surgical site closed. Though he lacked the typical features of expression, his satisfaction was plain.

Pulling the woman's shirt down, he finally stood, facing Jeff.

“You can kill her now, if you like.” His voice was low, yet far too soft for the inhuman face from which it issued. Slowly, he began to walk back into the forest.

It took Jeff a moment to shake the odd, transfixed mood that had settled over him. Knives were still clutched in both his hands, but hung limply at his sides, forgotten. Quickly he tucked them in his belt, and instead trotted to catch up with his teammate.

“Wait up.” He held out Jack's phone. “You forgot this at the house.”

EJ had stopped to wait, but made no move to accept it.

While by no means the most astute person, Jeff had a good idea what the reason was for this hesitation.

“Ben can't follow you this far from the house... but you should make peace with it anyway, man. He's just bored. We all are.” Jeff proffered the phone again.

EJ lifted his hand to take it, hastily withdrawing both it and the device to his chest, as if burned.

“What the fuck's your problem, huh?” Jeff stopped himself short of giving his new teammate a shove. Though he could just barely define it, let alone admit it, he felt hurt.

It was rare anybody caught his interest, and life was far too dull for the first person he'd actually wanted to talk to in years to act so snooty.

Not only that, he'd made a pretty impressive kill back there to zero reaction.

It vexed him.


	2. Cult Revenge

EJ lay in bed wide awake. He kept replaying the night in his mind:

Jeff, grinning maniacally, showered in blood, felling a man easily two heads taller than him.

Jeff, looking up at him, expectant, issuing the closest thing to an olive branch that existed among their kind.

And that fleeting, agonizing contact their hands had made.

His stomach contracted painfully.

Every one of his newly acquired senses told him to get up, go down the corridor to where his cohort slept, and feed.

Tossing his covers off in one swoop, EJ dressed swiftly, and silently crept from his room, purposefully pivoting away from the hall, descending the front steps.

He was well down the drive when his phone buzzed, a distorted “hey, listen” ringing out into the night.

He slowed, extracting it from his pocket. The screen read “a call from: your boyfriend”.

He pushed decline.

No sooner had the screen faded did Ben's face piece itself together, clearly irritated.

“You're just a bundle of laughs.” The audio was barely comprehensible. “Dude- wait a sec, you've got a mission.” He added hurriedly.

EJ slowed, returning a few paces for better reception.

“What's he want?”

“You'll love this... cult members!” Ben chirped cheerfully. “Gotta exterminate some of your old _friends_.”

When the reaction he'd expected failed to come, the elf continued, slightly more subdued. “Anyway, kill the followers, do whatever, but bring the leader back alive.”

“Where are they?”

“Your partner's got the map.”

The face faded away, though the look of shrewdness didn't go unnoticed by Jack.

Even before he sensed his approach, before his breathing heedlessly sped up, he knew who this partner would be.

Jeff's footsteps were undisguised, a running pace, he clapped him on the shoulder as he sped by. “C'mon, this way.”

EJ sprinted to catch up, an undercurrent of anxiety joining his already jangling nerves.

Jeff's face was alive with malice, his eyes focused, grin unwavering.

Not only did he have to resist his own urges, but he had to make sure this guy didn't slaughter the whole lot in his blood lust.

“Leave the leader alive, right?” EJ confirmed, surprised at the effort he had to exert to keep pace with this human.

It was his turn to be met with silence.

Dread rose steadily as they approached the site.

He could smell them first; though practising dark arts, this was half a dozen humans, and _he_ was clearly the saner of the two tasked with this mission.

The moment Jeff entered the clearing it was chaos.

What had been a circle of men and women moving in synchrony around a fire became a scrum of bodies: fleeing, bleeding, screaming, fighting for their lives.

With a herculean force of will, EJ located the leader, deftly removing him from the fray, backing him into the undergrowth.

The man was about his height, far heavier, but no match for his preternatural strength.

Within minutes, the body held against him ceased to struggle, and fell unconscious.

What he'd thought would be a harrowing internal battle to not immediately cannibalize this man turned out to be much easier than anticipated.

His attention was entirely focused on the black haired boy leaping from victim to victim, peels of laughter issuing after each body collapsed, lifeless, among the leaves.

It was a macabre dance, and the part of him that was still human felt a surge of intense fascination for this madman's craft.

Much quieter, the demon in him cried out as the last wasted body hit the ground: dead organs had no use to him.

Jeff only paused for a moment to survey his handiwork. Blood-spattered, eyes gleaming in the firelight, he turned to approach EJ, knives still akimbo.

In a thrilling moment, he thought the massacre was going to turn on him, but Jeff's expression fell slightly as he focused.

“Aren't you going to do your thing?”

The offer caught EJ by surprise.

Surely this guy wasn't so out of his mind to think of disobeying a direct order?

“We have to bring him back alive, remember?”

“You don't kill them though, right?” Jeff wiped his knives on the nearest body before replacing them in his belt loops.

A smile tugged the corner of EJ's mouth.

“I suppose I don't.”

💀💀💀

In the days following their mission, the camaraderie Jeff felt had been forged that night faded fast. Though the house was a loud, social affair at most times, EJ remained quiet and aloof. What stung was that it seemed to be specifically _him_ who was avoided.

By nature of being a group of spitfire outcasts, fast friendships often formed, fights were common, and even the occasional jokes were pulled.

Their newest member wasn't at the centre of it by any stretch, but he'd certainly had his share of laughs and clashes by this point.

 _And deep chats._ Jeff noted, peering around the bannister.

EJ was sat with LJ, on opposite armchairs, conversing comfortably.

“What's up, buttercup?” Ben pieced together on the hallway monitor.

“Shh.” Jeff raised a finger.

The elf's eyes narrowed deviously. “... want me to get a closer look?”

Jeff mulled it over. He didn't _want_ to give a shit.

But to his increasing irritation, he did.

“Ya. What're they saying?”

Ben fell silent, his image distorting briefly as he parsed himself to a nearer device.

Jeff tapped his foot, feeling more childish than he had in ages. Why the fuck did he care what this guy was up to?

A vaguely auto-tuned “booring” emitted from the speaker.

“Huh?”

“It's all just philosophy talk, I dunno.”

Jeff felt an unexpected wave of relief. Not that he was any less annoyed with himself, mind you.

“What's with him anyway?”

“How do you mean?” Ben asked, a knowing smile playing on his face.

Jeff ducked back around the corner, pointing silently at his phone. He was certain EJ had looked -or whatever he did to perceive- right at him.

Retreating to his room, Jeff flopped down on his bed.

“Well?” Ben prodded from his hand.

“Why's he avoid me? Everybody else here's shit.”

“Offended.” Ben quipped, though he hardly sounded so.

“You don't count.”

“Nice. Maybe he can't handle how charming you are?” The elf said flatly.

Jeff made an indistinct noise into his pillow. He didn't want to brood anymore. Flipping over, he held his phone in front of his face. “Any missions coming up?”

A worrying, wicked smile spread across Ben's face. “Let me check.”


	3. Friendly Fire

In the wake of a transport truck the abandoned motel came into view. The road was now empty as EJ surveyed the building from the opposite bank.

Satisfied nobody was going to happen by, he sprinted swiftly across, taking cover behind a burned out wreck in the parking lot.

The dilapidated sign and missing doors of the old building set quite the foreboding mood, but he was relieved to have finally landed a mission that would be without interruption.

That relief, however, was short lived.

The singular entity he could sense was not a demon as expected, but human.

EJ willed himself silent and unseen as he approached, edging around the door which half hung from its hinges.

Swooping into the room, he looped his arm across the figure's throat, clapping his opposite hand over their mouth.

To his surprise, his fingers didn't quite cover it entirely.

Teeth sank into his palm, joined by searing pain in his left side and right bicep.

EJ whipped his arms away, kneeing his captive in the back, evoking an all too familiar curse.

Jeff had fallen forward only to spring back around, aiming a kick directly at EJ's face.

He blocked, retreating a few steps.

“It's me... chill!” He hissed as the other showed no sign of recognition or disengaging from combat.

Jeff attempted to land a double overhead blow with his knives, which Jack caught in each hand, before seeming to realize who he was attacking.

“The fuck? You trying to get yourself killed?!”

EJ couldn't help but feel pleased at how ruffled his cohort was by this notion.

“I think I'll be fine.” He inclined his head to indicate his hands, still keeping Jeff at bay by the wrist. “... Right?”

The shorter boy gave a half shrug, not breaking eye contact, innately resistant to declaring a truce.

“On three?” EJ raised their hands slightly at each count.

“One.” He could see the animosity fading from Jeff's face.

“Two.” A smile.

“Three.” They broke apart.

Jeff continued to grin back at him for a moment before seeming to realize it and turning away abruptly.

“So, what happened... is the mission off?”

“This is my mission. At least, that's what Ben said.”

This revelation made Jeff even more flustered than before. Though turned away, EJ could see his ears were bright red.

“That dumb fuck.” He grumbled.

Intrigued though Jack was, the thrill of combat and reality of injury were fading fast, and the hunger was pooling in their place. More than ever, he couldn't trust himself around this human.

“I'll head back, then.”

Jeff turned, colour still high in his face. “Huh? Well, we could wait a little bit. See if somebody shows?”

“I'm sure you can handle it.” EJ made to exit but the younger boy was quick to cut him off.

“What the fuck, man? What's your fucking problem anyway?” He didn't wait for an answer. “You know I did everything solo before this shit started? And here's you, this goddam wet blanket, too good to hang around me? What, you think I'm weak? Well you got another....”

The tirade faded to a buzz as EJ watched him move: heated words and tightly wound muscles, gesturing agonizingly close. He was so... alive.

💀💀💀

Jeff knew he fucked up.

He'd been in mid-flow, just going off on his colleague, when the demon had body-checked him face first onto the bed without warning.

The guy had zero tells, and just as few qualms about friendly fire apparently.

EJ's weight bore down on him, knees on the backs of his thighs, hands held at either side by strong claws. Despite the give of the mattress, he couldn't wriggle free. Not that he'd given up trying.

Whipping his head to the side, to at least have an eye-line on his attacker, Jeff let out a string of curses.

“What in the ever-loving Christ d'ya think you're doing? Get the fuck off me!”

EJ didn't reply, but attempted to reposition his hands to hold both of Jeff's in one of his own.

He seized this lapse in the pin-hold and thrashed wildly, managing to free his arms and turn slightly.

With a start, he saw that EJ had discarded his mask and was looking ominously hungry, sharp teeth bared, rivulets of saliva dripping from his chin.

The true monstrousness of this guy made Jeff's blood run cold.

“Aw shit... Jack c'mon. Get a hold of yourself.” His own voice sounded distant, and far too weak for his own liking.

It wasn't clear if the demon's lack of movement was a reaction to his request, or if he was calculating his next move.

Jeff didn't wait to find out.

With all his strength he elbowed EJ directly in the face, splattering black ichor across the wall with a sickening crunch.

EJ reared back, howling, and Jeff torqued under him, managing to knock him off balance enough to slip away.

He dove to the grimy carpet where his blades had landed, retrieving them and falling back into a stance.

EJ was still knelt on the bed, face in his hands, a steady onyx flow issuing from between his fingers. He was silent, but breathing hard.

A novel sense rose up in Jeff: something akin to worry, though largely diluted by the sheer aura of danger emanating from this creature.

“Jack?” He ventured, not approaching, still on guard.

“Get out of here.” The other burbled.

Some infinitesimal, sane part of his mind told him to go. The much more commanding, wild and prideful part said he subdued this beast once, clearly he could do it again if need be.

“No.” He hazarded a step closer, the only sound the _drip drip drip_ of whatever was coming from EJ's face. “Listen, man, we gotta work together. If I have to stop myself from slaughtering the whole house, you gotta stop yourself from eat... uh... eating me.” He felt a little hot in the face saying it aloud.

Though potentially fatal, and definitely unwanted, it certainly painted the picture of a very intimate act.

EJ raised his head. He looked calmer, as much as a man with no eyes could look.

“How?”

The word sounded hollow, almost helpless.

Cautiously, Jeff came to the edge of the bed. He holstered one knife, keeping the other drawn just in case.

With his free hand he took EJ's wrist.

The other boy flinched, attempted to pull away, though clearly not with all his strength.

“What are you doing?”

“Just. I dunno. Try getting used to it?” Jeff slowly led the demon's hand closer to his body, nearing in increments, until finally allowing it to rest against his chest.

They stayed -one knelt, hand on the other's heart- a knife held above them, at odds with the apparent tenderness of the gesture.

“Your heart's beating fast.” EJ murmured.

“Well you did just try to kill me.” The heat in Jeff's face blazed again. True, he wasn't being heedless with this experimental contact.

But it wasn't simply fear to blame for his reaction.

🐙🐙🐙 

Sat before a floor length mirror, supplies laid out at his side, EJ was in the midst of cleaning and stitching the two stab wounds he'd sustained that night.

The pain was a welcome distraction from ruminating about what, exactly, had transpired earlier.

It was easily the closest he'd felt to another since losing his humanity, yet had also been the deepest he'd fallen into depravity.

Jeff had correctly assumed he wanted to cannibalize him, but there had been something else.

Something primal.

Something erotic.

Snipping the last suture off, he sighed heavily.

His head snapped up as the TV in the corner of his room blinked to life.

“Looks like it went well.” Ben quipped.

“Does it?” He replied emphatically.

“Well, Jeff's back alive, and in one piece to boot, so that's good.” The elf winked, issuing a little 8bit heart across the screen. “And you're not a pile of calamari. I guess that's good too.” He sounded less convinced of this.

EJ frowned, turning to face the set properly. “Why'd you send us both there?”

Ben simply stared at him.

The only movement was the tracking lines across the screen, and an occasional blink.

“Were you trying to get rid of me? Or of Jeff?”

The elf smiled. “Neither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (oh, yas, also-- if it wasn't obvious i have no editors so ... msg any mistakes you notice hunnies, save me from my idiocy ♥️ xoxoxo)


	4. It's All Jokes

He was pinned down, unable to move save for the most tantalizing of wriggles. Fear that tainted the original scene had been replaced by a heady need.

Atop him, EJ didn't simply keep hold, but bore down. The contact became closer, rougher, clothing disappearing without question.

Skin, smooth and warm, slid against him, pressing him further into the mattress, friction creating a nearly intolerable heat. He cried out.

Jeff woke with a start.

He was still breathing hard, hair plastered to his face and back with sweat, legs thoroughly wound in his sheets. He extracted himself from the tangle, swearing under his breath at the aftermath of his wet dream.

He was of two minds regarding this new nighttime imagery: it was certainly better than the gut-wrenching flashes of screaming faces and bleeding family members that often haunted his sleep, returning him to the waking world in cold sweats and unintentional tears.

Those revealed his greatest mistakes, his shame, the moment that marked when he couldn't turn back.

This new realm, on the other hand, was populated by previously unexplored fantasies, and left him breathless in the morning light, confused, and embarrassed.

Limbs still heavy and uncoordinated, he lifted himself from his bed, stripped off his sticky boxers, and jumped in the shower.

Quickly scrubbing through his mop of hair, Jeff spent as little time as he reasonably could to clean himself.

As somebody who regularly took advantage of other's vulnerability, he was hyper-aware of his own.

The tap gave a final squeak, cutting off the water's white noise.

He was just drying off when a sharp knock at the door startled him.

Jeff froze, securing the towel around his waist before picking up the blade he always kept close.

Giving himself a tactical beat of surprise, he flung the door open, weapon poised to strike.

EJ retreated from his advance and issuing steam from the bathroom.

It didn't escape Jeff's notice that his teammate's hand went reflexively to the faint remains of the wounds he'd inflicted on him the last time he'd been caught off guard.

_Good._

He wasn't keen to have that happen again. Well, the threat of cannibalism, at least. Being overpowered by EJ, on the other hand, that was up for debate.

The thought made his already warm face jump a few degrees.

“Whadya want?”

As always, EJ didn't answer immediately. With his mask in place it was impossible to tell if he had any inkling as to what Jeff had been doing, or thinking.

Jeff prayed his odd behaviour was lost in his overall weirdness, that his cohort hadn't picked up on the reason for his awkwardness.

“We've been assigned an away mission. Pack.”

🐙🐙🐙 

EJ managed to keep his mind on work throughout the journey there, falling back on the mental rituals he'd done while alive: planning for every eventuality, reviewing what he knew, checking and re-checking his equipment.

Late evening had fallen by the time they arrived at the remote two story home.

It rose up, white weathered sides stark against the darkening sky.

The pair quickly made their way inside, creeping into the drawing room.

“Should we do a sweep?” Jeff muttered.

EJ paused, reaching his mind throughout the structure. “No. There's nobody here.”  
“How d'you know that?”

“Just do.”

Jeff shrugged, meandering around, looking at the various trinkets decorating the space. It was lit by a few 'we're home, don't rob us' lights that had been left on, but remained mostly dim.

The younger boy lifted a photo, staring down at it. He repeated this with a few more frames before EJ's annoyance got the best of him.

“Quit messing around with their stuff. You want them to notice things are out of order when they come home?”

Jeff snorted. “What, and they'll say 'well fuck this our pictures are askew, better leave and never come back!' Yea right.” He took a handful of mints from a nearby crystal bowl and stuffed them in his mouth. “Never happens.”

EJ couldn't argue with that, but it still felt sloppy.

“Let's go upstairs, give them a narrow entry point. Get this over quick.”

Jeff shrugged, but followed him up the creaky wooden steps, to the second floor.

It was just as cluttered with family artifacts as the first, slightly dusty, the air stale: a home left vacant for several weeks.

They made their way to the farthest bedroom, a frilly white affair with heavy drapes shutting out the waning natural light. Only an amber glow from the hall fell into the space.

Jeff flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, kicking his legs in a tympani of boredom.

“Would you be more careful?” EJ chided.

“Why?” Jeff crooked his hands behind his head to meet Jack's gaze. “They're not gonna scope out their own house all stealthy. These idiots'll throw the door open, talkin' loud about stupid shit, leaving their bags everywhere in their own way, make a ton of noise... trust me, I've seen it before.”

True, while EJ was older, Jeff was far more versed in clandestine slaughter.

“Besides.” He laid back down, speaking to the ceiling again. “They're not due home til tomorrow morning. We're just early in case plans change. But they won't.”

“How do _you_ know _that_?”

“Just do.” Jeff mocked his earlier answer.

Though the mission had kept EJ's mind focused and clear for the better part of the day, as the hours ticked by it began to falter.

Hunger lurked at the back of his mind like a whisper, but it had been dominated by a new desire.

Jeff had taken to going through the occupant's drawers, occasionally chuckling at what he found.

The sound made Jack's skin prickle.

He'd been watching the other for so long without comment that he was a little startled when Jeff suddenly spoke up.

“Why're you staring -or whatever- at me? Still think I'm being too reckless?” He grinned.

Jack's answer was lost somewhere between the two parts of his mind: humanity bade him to simply answer, have a conversation. The demon, however, was quick to note that Jeff was unarmed at the moment, far less likely to overpower him than before.

In a sort of middle ground he simply stepped forward, wordlessly seizing the other boy's hands in his own.

💀💀💀

“What...” Jeff looked at the long digits clasped around his palms. It wasn't an aggressive action, but left him baffled. EJ wasn't cold, so much as he was room temperature, a little like touching somebody who'd just got out of a pool.

He swallowed thickly as the taller boy leaned forward, tilting his face. He didn't see, but rather felt, the tongue lathe the length of his neck.

An entirely unintentional noise escaped his lips.

As much as Jeff wanted to simply accept that this was the manifestation of his recent fantasies, his pride wouldn't let him be that vulnerable.

Hesitantly, he took a step back. Jack straightened up, releasing his hands in order to lift off his mask.

Jeff stared up into the taller boy's face. It did very little to help him read the situation any better.

The next moment, however, removed all question.

EJ angled his head, leaning down to press his lips against Jeff's, soft but insistent.

It took him a moment to really register that it had happened.

The other boy's hands were running up his back, drawing him nearer once more.

When he felt his body press against Jack's, he let out a slight gasp of surprise.

Whatever self consciousness he had about being so close instantly evaporated as he felt EJ was just as excited as he'd been from the first lick.

That tongue was now tasting his lips, the cool breath behind it significantly quicker than before.

Jeff met it with his own, craning his neck, looping an arm around EJ's shoulders for better purchase. He ground forward, kissing with a fervour that spoke of many weeks' unfulfilled daydreams.

EJ broke away, licking and biting his way down to Jeff's collar, tugging the fabric away to cover the area with his mouth.

A terribly undignified moan escaped Jeff, but he was a little past the point of caring. Instead he reached back to pull up his own shirt, twitching EJ away momentarily to discard the garment on the floor.

The taller boy's mouth returned to its previous position, rougher than before, biting to the point of drawing blood.

“Ah _fuck_ -” Jeff hips bucked forward, beyond his control, but conveying exactly the message he couldn't vocalize.

EJ took a step forward, with Jeff practically hanging off him, it was easy to tip them both seamlessly onto the bed.

The demon continued his path down the pale flesh, exploring, only pausing right at his heart.

Jeff looked down at the sudden slowdown of the trajectory toward his dick.

His instinct was to simply make his need clear by pushing down on Jack's head, but he was still understandably cautious.

Instead he propped himself on his elbows, drawing the other boy back up into a kiss.

Their mouths met, EJ's now warm with residual heat from their previous foray.

Jeff kicked a leg over the demon's hips, forcing him to bare down against his own, setting a slow rocking pace.

Trying to concentrate on the two movements at once made for a haphazard, entirely indelicate attempt by the two to disrobe each-other at the same time.

EJ had slightly more skill, snaking a claw between them to unfasten Jeff's pants while his counterpart was still attempting to tug off his hoodie.

The first contact those digits made with his dick made Jeff take a great, shuddering inhale of breath.

He'd imagined it so many times, and it was finally, inexplicably happening.

It was at that very moment that a chorus of voices announced themselves downstairs, bringing with them the shuffling and din of several people.

Jack froze for a few beats, before withdrawing his hand.

“Why are you stopping? If they see anything we're just gonna kill 'em anyway.” He whispered.

The expression that met his words wasn't hard to guess.

“Just kidding.”


	5. Dreamstorming

EJ tucked his tools back in his satchel. Elsewhere in the house he could hear Jeff terrorizing one of the other tenants.

He frowned.

Now full and removed from the overwhelming proximity of the other boy, he felt acutely disappointed in himself.

He'd lost control so completely.

Surprise that Jeff had been receptive to his advances was overshadowed by the worrying disconnect between the self Jack recognized, and what he'd been compelled to do.

In his previous life, he'd been altogether quiet and studious, much more likely to be spotted reading or studying than trying to grab ass at a party.

Even the new, darker urges to hurt and consume seemed manageable. At the very least, humans were plentiful and he felt little remorse for what he took from them.

They were helpless and he was in command.

What had taken place between himself and the other killer, however, was an exchange of equals.

Jeff was just as involved, and culpable, as he was.

Jack didn't relish the thought.

It felt exposed, at odds with the solitary life of a monster such as himself.

Shedding the human needs of companionship and intimacy had been so freeing. To encounter them again now was a step backward.

A scream rang out down the hall, followed by a thud, then footsteps.

Jeff appeared at the doorway, grinning as always.

EJ couldn't stand to remain boarded on his current train of thought any longer. Hastily he refastened his mask, breezing by the other boy with a soft, “let's go”.

His teammate shrugged, sobering slightly, but made no argument.

EJ wondered absently if the kill was enough for Jeff; if it filled the same void for him as eating, or more to the point: physical release.

He definitely seemed more at ease than EJ himself, who remained on edge despite being satiated.

His body continued making an insistent, yet familiar demand.

They walked a good way down the road before calling in that the job had been done.

“They're sending a car.” EJ intoned.

“What'll we do to pass the time?” Jeff shot him a look that left no question as to what he had in mind.

Jack's irritation with himself redoubled. He had to nip this in the bud.

“I don't think that's wise.”

“What- why? You seemed pretty keen on it earlier. And don't give me any bullshit about some kinda feeding frenzy cuz I know your dick wasn't after my liver.”

This straightforward appraisal of his actions made EJ shift uncomfortably. For somebody with no social finesse this guy sure did read a tryst remarkably well.

As he always did when confused, the cannibal remained silent.

Beside him, Jeff made a derisive noise, but didn't say anything more.

💀💀💀 

Jeff did not take being cast aside lightly. It felt dangerously close to losing, and he never lost.

The problem was, he had no conceivable plan as to how he could get things back in his favour.

Groaning, he pressed the heels of his hands against his forehead.

It was entirely EJ's fault, of course.

If he could get away with killing the guy, it'd solve his problems quite neatly, but he doubted that sort of betrayal would be tolerated.

As rash as he could be, Jeff wasn't that stupid.

“Why so glum, sugarplum?”

Jeff launched himself off the bed, right up to the TV.

“Ben! Perfect!”

“Good to see you too, honey.”

Jeff was long used to the elf's attempts to get a rise out of him, and instead pressed the conversation forward.

“Remember when you sent me n' EJ on that bogus mission?”

Ben looked exaggeratedly shocked. “Never heard of it.”

“Uhuh. Could you do that again?”

A Cheshire smile crept over the ghost's face. “Oh, I think our buddy Jack's too paranoid to fall for that twice.”

“You think?”

Ben leaned his chin on his hand, looking innocently curious. “Now why would you want me to do that anyway, hm?”

But Jeff wasn't fooled by the act. Judging by how much he'd interfered thus far, he was willing to bet that Ben already knew what was going on.

Still, he wasn't about to give up such a juicy secret for free.

“Help me and I'll tell you.”

“Snore.”

“I'll tell you details about what happened at the Barrow house that made things weird.”

“Right?” The elf lit up. “It's been so tense!”

Jeff raised a brow. “Deal?”

Ben growled, glitching out slightly. “Argh. Fine. I'll help. Now spill.”

“So we were scoping out the place, it was empty of course, and we had to wait around for a bit.” He took a breath. Retelling this, even if it was just Ben, even if it guaranteed a partner in crime, was a lot more embarrassing than he'd thought it would be. “We kinda... made out.”

His admission sounded so juvenile in his own ears.

The impish face was alight, listening raptly. “Who started it?”

“Him, technically.”

Ben giggled. “No... Really?” He appeared thoughtful. “I'd've thought it'd take that guy a little longer to crack. He's such a hardass.”

“Tell me about it.” Jeff huffed.

“So then what?”

“... Nothing. That was it.”

“Oh, so it was sweet and romantic, then?” Ben looked mischievous.

“What? No!”

“I thought not, so go on. Gory details. Did you see his monster cock?”

“Christ, Ben!” Jeff could feel himself blushing, hating himself a little for even considering asking this asshole for help.

He must have been more desperate than he'd realized.

🐙🐙🐙 

EJ was dreaming, as he often did, of his last days in the mortal realm.

Surrounded by hooded figures, the terror now a shadow in a memory, came back fully realized in his subconscious.

The searing pain, stars dancing in his vision: the last thing he'd ever see.

An eternity unravelled before him, no end to the torture he endured.

And then, a second chance, an offering, and perception like he'd never had before.

His being calmed, the pain ebbing away.

Abruptly, the dream changed.

Unlike the fevered, patchy flashes of his past, he now stood in the mansion hall, clear as day.

As if on auto-pilot he walked, pushing open the door two down from his, letting himself into Jeff's room.

His teammate was sleeping on his side, back to the door.

EJ approached, sitting on the edge of the bed, tucking a strand of hair behind Jeff's ear.

The boy stirred, looking up at him blearily, yet not displeased.

Jack leaned down, bringing their lips together, a slow exploration free of conscious thought.

He revelled in the taste, the warmth, the reciprocation his attentions were receiving.

Steadily the kiss deepened, his fingertips skidded beneath the blanks, finding his cohort's bare skin, caressing the smooth chest.

The sounds of Jeff's pleasure played in his ears as he continued down, grazing his palms over the killer's thighs, feeling no hesitation to explore further.

Jeff moaned into the kiss as EJ curled his fingers around his cock, languidly stroking him for some time before being pulled bodily atop the other boy.

“Jack...” Jeff's tone sent a thrill through EJ's body. “I want you.”

He was staring up at him, eyes dark and face flushed.

EJ positioned himself between the younger boy's legs, realizing without much concern, that he too was naked.

Leaning forward he recaptured the killer's mouth, more forcefully, almost carelessly. With the arm that wasn't bracing him up, he reached between them, taking both their erections in one hand.

Jeff was panting into their embrace, writhing underneath him, plainly lost in sensation, yet impatient. He'd thrown a leg behind EJ's back, urging him forward. He broke away, panting hard.

“I want to feel you inside me.”

The dulcet words made Jack's cock twitch. He slid a claw under Jeff, cupping his ass, straightening up for a better angle.

Just as he felt the hot, pliable flesh giving way he crashed back reality.

EJ awoke with a start, the vestiges of the dream clinging to him with an unanticipated malevolent aura.

Slowly he realized that, in addition to his own ragged breaths, the soft sound of white noise filled his room: static from the TV.


	6. Flayed

Jeff rummaged through the kitchen for breakfast. It was just past dawn, three days since he'd caught a single glance of EJ, or Ben, for that matter.

He mentally chided himself for confiding in him in the first place.

It wasn't as if his teammate had anything to gain from helping him, and trust wasn't a commodity they traded lightly.

Why he'd done it remained a source of consistent angst.

His mind revisited the brief interlude he'd shared with Jack often, much as he tried to avoid it.

For the first time in his life, Jeff wished he had more self control.

Snapping the cupboard shut, he made his way back to his room, food in hand.

No sooner had he entered, a claw seized him by the throat, slamming him bodily into the wall, plate clattering to the ground.

EJ kicked his door shut.

“Call off your friend.” He growled.

Jeff's hands flew to the wrist pinning him by the neck.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

EJ looked as if he'd just woken up: dishevelled, maskless, wearing only pyjama pants. There was a rattled, exhausted air about him.

“The elf.” EJ ground out, shaking his captive with each syllable to emphasize his point. “Tell him to back off.”

Jeff had thought he'd been pretty clear that he simply wanted Ben to arrange another 'accidental' excuse for he and Jack to be together, not mindfuck him into a rage.

Though he wasn't out for blood, not yet. He'd experienced EJ's full strength, and this choke-hold wasn't even close. This was downright tender by comparison.

And, if he were honest, it was kind of working for him.

Jeff chuckled, looking up into the incensed face, inches from his own. “I dunno what you're talking about.” He leaned his head back, swallowing with some difficulty.

What blood wasn't ringing in his ears was surging south.

“I could eat you, bones and all, nobody would find out. Don't. Fuck. With. Me.”

Jeff did the exact opposite; with his back braced against the wall he could easily raise his legs, looping them around EJ's hips.

The demon hissed at the unexpected contact, and made to remove his hand.

In response, Jeff tightened the grip he had on Jack's wrist, switching from keeping it at bay to holding it in place.

With a frustrated, near desperate noise, EJ smashed him against the wall repeatedly, trying to knock him off.

The killer laughed: grappling an opponent until they were subdued was his speciality. Even without a weapon, he wouldn't be so easily dislodged.

EJ stumbled back, knocking over a lamp and several stacks of magazines before landing on the ground.

They struggled, rolling over one-another several times before EJ hauled off and bit Jeff on the shoulder.

He cried out, finally relinquishing his grip on the demon's hand, but not his waist. “Christ almighty, a little gentler if ya don't mind.”

Panting from the effort of their tussle, Jack wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “I'm not trying to fuck you, you stupid shit!”

Two palms slammed down against the floor on either side of Jeff's head.

“You sure about that?” He let his gaze linger on EJ's erection, not exactly subtle in the thin bottoms he was wearing.

The demon froze, as if caught off guard by his own body's reaction.

Jeff brought up a hand, trailing his fingers over the unearthly skin, tracing the outline of his abdominal muscles, wandering downward.

EJ exhaled sharply at the touch, again making a bid to escape Jeff's legs. But he held fast, clasping his unoccupied hand around the back of Jack's head, drawing him sharply into a kiss.

The demon pulled back instantly, but remained held a breath away. Though silent, his internal conflict played out in a myriad of expressions flitting over his face.

“Ahem.”

Both killers startled.

The Proxy had silently slipped into the room, clearing his throat to get their attention. Any thoughts he had regarding the sordid scene he'd encountered were lost behind the mask obscuring his face. “Eyeless. You've got a mission.”

Begrudgingly, Jeff released the cannibal, but not before smirking, “we'll settle this later”.

🐙🐙🐙

EJ had done the first round of recon solo, but after what he'd seen, he returned for backup.

Not so much because he didn't think he could defeat the creature, but because he was certain there was something more at play. Something he couldn't perceive.

On his initial venture he'd been perched in a tree, watching the grove where an unknown entity had been reported so frequently that it had ended up on the local news.

They were light on details, but he certainly hadn't been expecting what happened just before dusk.

A truck sped down the nearby road, swerving slightly as the driver ejected his passenger. A girl, a mid-teen runaway by the looks of her, had tumbled onto the road as the vehicle screeched away.

She was badly beaten, injuries made far worse from the fall.

That's when the creature had appeared: twisted, pale and wraith-like, emerging from the carpet of leaves littering the forest floor.

To EJ's surprise, the girl hadn't recoiled from it, in fact, she had held out her arms, looking hopeful.

He had crept closer to hear her words as she embraced the skeletal form that covered her.

“Oh thank you, thank you. Thank God.” Her words shook, but not from fear.

Whatever she was seeing, it obviously wasn't the creature's ghastly reality.

He needed, for lack of a better word, another set of eyes.

Now he was returning to the area, with The Proxy and Jeff in tow.

He clenched his teeth, irritated that the killer had been chosen to accompany him, though not surprised. They needed an uninfluenced mortal to identify this thing.

Still, it struck him as needlessly dangerous.

What he'd witnessed could easily be a way of manipulating human shields, and he didn't want to have to take down his teammates.

Slowing, he held up a hand, signalling for the other two to stop. “Past the river, up on the road, that's where it appeared.”

“We should have brought bait.” Jeff breathed.

The Proxy cocked his head slightly. “That's what _we're_ here for, no?”

“Shut it and fan out.” EJ cut in, not wanting to waste any time.

It was already getting late, and he didn't want to spend the whole night camped out in the damp autumn air.

Jeff gave a sarcastic little salute and headed on a wide circuit toward the lane.

In the opposite direction The Proxy did the same, trying to attract their target in earnest.

Leaping lightly into the branches overhead, EJ watched the two figures make their way through the bush.

Dark seeped into the trees like an inky sediment; obscuring the undergrowth from all but a demon's preternatural senses.

It was The Proxy who encountered their enemy first; with little stealth he'd taken a dive, kicking up a flurry of leaves in his attempt to catch the thing.

The cannibal was immediately on the ground, speeding toward the commotion, all too aware that Jeff had also started his approach.

Without warning, The Proxy was thrown, flying so quickly through the air that EJ had no time to dodge his form. The two collided, tumbling to the ground in a cascade of detritus.

Knowing that Jeff was now solo in approaching their foe, EJ swore, managing to disentangle himself enough to stand. He was about to cry out for his friend to come back, only to see the black-haired boy come to a sudden stop regardless.

Several feet away, Jeff simply stood, gazing up at the creature.

His arms hung at his sides, knives slowly slipping from limp fingers.

But his expression wasn't one of fear, rather, one of recognition.

Panicked, Jack found his feet. The logical part of his brain told him to make a covert, cautious approach. But a much more vocal, peculiarly red-blooded part, shirked all thought and demanded only action.

Flinging himself forward Jack secured an arm around the entity's forearms, wrenching them back, away from his human counterpart.

Though he wasn't thinking clearly enough to imagine a reaction from Jeff, he certainly would have never predicted _offence_.

“What the fuck you think you're doing?” Jeff shouted. “Let him go!”

 _Him_? EJ didn't have time to rationalize the words, but despite that, they added to the unfamiliar feeling that had riled him to this point.

“Get out of here!” He managed.

His captive was not taking being restrained lightly; it spat and seized, wiry limbs shaking with effort as it vainly fought to free itself.

For a moment the cannibal thought Jeff was actually listening, but instead of turning to flee, he turned on him.

The killer wedged himself between Jack and the other demon, trying desperately to prise them apart.

“Get... out of it!” Jeff bent to retrieve one of his blades.

EJ moved to block.

The creature lashed out.

In a pandemonium of blood, screaming, and pain, everything went black.

🔪🔪🔪

Jeff sat bolt upright, then immediately fell back under a wave of excruciating pain.

“Hey, don't move around too much.”

He managed to focus on the voice; the Proxy was standing at his bedside, still hooded and masked, though visibly worse for wear: his clothing was mud-spattered and torn in several places, burrs and twigs still stuck to him here and there.

At some point they'd returned to the mansion. He recognized the small medical room from his first few years living there, back when he was less able to stand toe-to-toe with his supernatural teammates.

Seeing it again filled him with an uncomfortable realization that he, specifically, had fucked up.

“What happened?” He managed.

“The Flayer attacked you. Then you attacked Eyeless.” There was an edge of annoyance in the man's voice. “It was a real fuckfest, I'll tell you that.”

The memories came back to Jeff gradually: sprinting through the underbrush, his hopes soaring as he caught a glimpse of who they'd found, followed by an overwhelming fear as he watched his teammates attack his brother.

_His brother._

But, no, that was impossible.

Wincing, he shifted slightly to look down at the three long, blood-stained marks that were seeping through the bandages covering his abdomen.

A digital voice cut in, uncharacteristically business-like.

“You can release the stasis. Everything's been neutralized.” Ben chirped from the monitor opposite them.

“Good.” The Proxy breathed, but appeared to do nothing more.

On the bed next to Jeff, however, EJ suddenly swung at the air, as if continuing a movement mid-pause. He'd been so unnaturally still previously, the killer hadn't even noticed him.

“Whoa, take it easy. We're back home.” The Proxy went to the foot of the cannibal's bed. “I had to do a demon countervail to get us out of there, plus bring in the Flayer. You got nuked too.” He cocked his head to the side. “Sorry, man.”

EJ took off his mask in order to rub his temples. “Damn, feels like you cracked me over the head.”

“That'll wear off in a few minutes.” The Proxy fell silent as Ben piped up again.

“Boss wants to see us for a debriefing, post haste.” He gave Jeff a little wave. “Hay buddy. Don't die.”

He grunted, not exactly wanting the focus on the fallout from his mistake.

The Proxy let out a long breath. “Welp. That sucks. Jack, if you could patch this dumbass up when you're up to it, that'd be great.” He threw back a look that, while hidden behind his face covering, was unmistakably judgemental. “But if you can't, nobody'd blame ya.”

With that, the two others had gone, leaving Jeff and EJ alone.

Jeff wanted to say something pithy, anything to lighten the crushing culpability that seemed to be vying with his physical pain to cause him the most distress.

But he couldn't bring himself to break the silence, instead covertly watching as EJ stretched out, experimentally tilting his head from side to side.

“Alright, let's see.” He finally said, moving from the bed to a stool at Jeff's bedside.

The killer focused solely on keeping his teeth clenched against the agony as his wound dressings were removed.

He could feel the cold sweat of shock beading at his lower back but forced himself to remain present. Whatever he had to endure felt, somehow, deserved.

EJ looked him over, his movements brisk and clinical, before gingerly pushing the killer back down. “I'll numb you up first, but it'll take quite a few stitches.”

Jeff made a noncommittal noise, not quite sure what to do with himself. He didn't want to keep revisiting the disastrous evening, but couldn't stop his thoughts from poking at it, like some mental canker sore.

Finally, whatever his cohort had given him took the edge off, and he could corral his reflections with a bit more precision.

“What...” He cleared his throat, finding his voice oddly raw, as if he'd been yelling. “Did ya see what exactly attacked us?”

EJ didn't look up from deftly sewing the deep gashes back together. “Some kind of shape-shifter demon.”

“Oh.” Jeff licked his lips, tip-toeing around the actual question he was burning to ask. But as he watched the other work, so carefully tending to his injuries, it felt less horrifying to breach. “What did it look like to you?”

At this, Jack paused, but only momentarily to snip a thread before moving on to the last lesion. “Paler than anything mortal, humanoid but emaciated, red eyes, sharp teeth, not so easy to see the particulars, its hair was everywhere.”

The vivid description brought back a flash, just before he was struck down, wherein Liu -that is, the recreation in Jeff's mind of the last time he'd seen him alive and well- had blinked out of existence, revealing that abomination.

“What did you see?” EJ enquired casually.

Jeff took a shaky inhale. Part of his mind still demanded he take what he saw to his inevitable grave, but the other part felt unusually trusting.

The pain had all but subsided.

“I saw my brother.”

EJ nodded, now applying new bandages. He did not press the issue.

“Look I -uh- I fucked up. I know that.” Jeff tried to lift himself into a slightly more dignified position, but the other boy placed a hand firmly on his shoulder.

“Don't move until the painkillers and analgesic wear off and you can gauge what you're capable of.”

Jeff looked down at the long fingers gingerly clasped around his shoulder, memories of their last foray into intimacy coming back to him in a tumult of image and emotion.

Tentatively he lifted his own hand, letting it rest atop Jack's.

For a moment they stayed like that, EJ smiling faintly down at him, before he slowly stood and pulled away.

“Get some rest.” He intoned.

Jeff tried to consolidate the irritable, avoidant cannibal he'd clashed with so frequently in the past month, with the person who had saved and tended to him without question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also draw these two fuckers all the time now: www.deviantart.com/pressedpill ✌ PEACE ᵗᵃᵏᵉ ᵐᵉ ᵃʷᵃʸ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵗʰᶦˢ ˢᵗᵘᵖᶦᵈ ᵒᵇˢᵉˢˢᶦᵒⁿ ˡᵒˡ


	7. Protective  Poltergeist

The moment EJ left the medical room his phone started ringing.

Frowning, he dug it out of his satchel.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Ben snapped.

He'd been expecting some kind of blow-back, but that didn't mean he was clamoring to hear it. Without a second glance he replaced the device in his bag, ignoring the tinny hysterics from within.

But the elf followed, appearing on every display and surface on his path upstairs.

“Are you seriously that stupid? That wasn't funny!”

“Was it supposed to be?”

The ghost finally settled on the large den TV as Jack threw himself into a chair, resigned to being berated.

“Why are you telling me this? Does the boss want to see me?”  
Ben faltered in his disparaging tirade. “Well, no. The ends justified the means, and all that. You did _technically_ succeed.”

“Okay, conversation over, then.”

“Seriously?” The speaker buzzed with the forcefulness of the word. “Even if you couldn't see it, you must have realized what that thing was when it went up against Jeff?”

“I did.”

“Then I just can't, for the life of me, imagine why you would _physically attack_ a Phrenic Flayer!”

EJ remained silent. He knew why, but it wasn't a conversation he cared to have any time soon.

“It was busy with a human. You could have captured it so easily. But instead you decided to have a bit of a _wrastle_ with it? What the fuck is your damage?”

“You tell me. You're the one that's been messing with my mind.”

“Oh don't play dumb.” The elf scoffed. “I make you wake up with a boner and have funny thoughts about your friends, I don't make you go hog-ass wild on the freaking battle field!” The last words were lost in angry distortion.

Losing patience, and feeling about as guilty as he possibly could have, Jack got up and made his way to the door.

To his surprise, a very solid hand grabbed him by the elbow.

Ben, obviously not done with him yet, and had emerged into the material plane, no less furious looking than he was on the screens.

“The Proxy seems to think it was Jeff's fault and reported it that way.” Despite his smaller size, the elf had EJ back in his chair with a sharp push, bringing them on eye-level with each-other.

“But I know it was yours.” He hissed.

“And?”

“You could have gotten him killed.” He prodded the cannibal in the sternum. “Jeff's entertaining. You, on the other hand, are _not_.”

Jack batted the offending hand away, scowling.

Ben straightened up, putting some distance between them, his expression changing from irate to affable like a switch. When he spoke again, his tone was deceptively light. “Stay away from him, or the next time you tango with a psychic demon, _you'll_ be the one laying in a hospital bed.” He smiled mirthlessly.

🔪🔪🔪🔪

Jeff had been dozing when he heard the door click open. He looked up, fully expecting to see EJ returning to check on him. It took him a moment to recognize the small figure that had entered. He was still a bit fuzzy in the head, and it was already rare to see Ben manifested.

“Hey, everything okay?”

The elf shut the door carefully behind him, beaming. “I should ask you.”

“Been better.” Jeff admitted. “Where's Eyeless?”

Ben's smile faltered slightly, but he shrugged. “I just saw him, he went out.”

“Ah well.” He stared at the ceiling, more disappointed than he cared to be.

“Any lingering effects?” The shorter boy approached, peering at him.

A little tickle at the back of Jeff's mind reminded him that, because of his particular set of skills, it was likely Ben who had dealt with the creature in the end.

“Not really. What happened with that thing anyway?”

The youthful face darkened. “Gave it a taste of its own medicine.”

His eyes lingered on Jeff's bandages.

“Nice.” The killer chuckled, though the memory of what it had transformed into, just for him, remained fresh. He decided to press Ben's unusually doting attitude to his advantage.

“How did it go down? Did it say anything, or do anything?”

The elf considered this, pressing a fingertip to his lip as he thought. “Loads. Though, probably not in the way you're imagining. It's a bit hard to describe...”

“Ah, never mind, then.” Jeff saw the other boy's dark eyes flash quickly over his face.

“Why?”The lilt in his voice didn't go unnoticed.

That was solidly the line.

Telling Jack what he'd seen exposed him, for sure. But telling Ben, whose entire character was built on taking people's psychological weaknesses and using it against them, well, that was just plain foolish.

“Just want the gory details of how the guy who took me down got his comeuppance, that's all.”

“Aha! In that case.” Ben laughed, perching himself on the edge of the bed. “It didn't go quietly. I wouldn't let it.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “Even monsters have cherished memories, ya'know. And I made sure to devastate _each_ and _every_ one before letting that thing depart.”

“Damn, you scary.” Jeff laughed.

Ben shrugged, but looked pretty pleased with himself regardless.

“Oh yeah...” The exchange suddenly reminded him of something he'd wanted to bring up, prior to getting his ass kicked. “... speaking of mind fuckery, would ya stop giving Eyeless weird dreams about me? Fully not what I meant when I made that deal, by the way.” He added for good measure.

The elf's reaction was inscrutable. “No problem.”

“Seriously? Am I that pathetic looking right now?”

“Sure, let's go with that.”

“Well what else can I ask for, then...” Jeff looked up as Ben hopped back onto the floor and did a little backward jig to the computer in the corner.

“Don't push your luck, punk.” He laughed, de-materializing without waiting for a reply.


End file.
